


Say You Won't Let Go

by Ronni_Right



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Alpha Original Percival Graves, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Family Friednship, Family Issues, M/M, Omega Newt Scamander
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-15
Updated: 2016-12-29
Packaged: 2018-09-08 17:51:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8855107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ronni_Right/pseuds/Ronni_Right
Summary: It began long before Newt reached the age of marriage. Perhaps at a time when his mom and Percival's mother decided that the marriage of their children - it is the thing they all need.





	1. Start

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [Пообещай, что никуда не отпустишь [Say You Won't Let Go]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8855464) by [Ronni_Right](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ronni_Right/pseuds/Ronni_Right)



> English is my second.  
> If you enjoy the fic, comments and kudos are highly appreciated :)

House in the light of the setting sun seemed to swim out of a fairy tale. Enveloped in shadows and occasional flares of light, it was like on the verge of two worlds.

Newt froze with his mouth open, looking at this beauty. The house was huge and seems impregnable, but it was sodden with magic. However, the magic did not frighten. It seemed warm and wrapped him.

His brother barely leaned heavily on him as he had walked behind. And mother, seeing that her youngest son no longer holds her hand, came back and sat down in front of him on his haunches. Her dress rustled, and Newt took admiring glances at her. She smiled:

"I see that someone is no longer so afraid of going to visit new place'.

He nodded, embarrassed, not saying a word. Theseus put hands on his shoulders. Their weight pressed Newt to the ground, but it gave another point of support.

"I'm not afraid" quietly and hesitantly said he, looking away.

He again looked at the estate. It must have not less than two hundred years of history, and he wanted to climb round the house inside and out. He had no doubt that in this castle walls were hiding the whole country of miracles.

"You're braver than you think, Newton Scamander" whispered brother.

Newt thrown his head back. Theseus smiled at him, wide and provocatively. And Newt could not help but answering smile.

Yes. Suppose that he was unlikely to be as brave as his brother, but someday he would reveal himself.

~О~

It was a ridiculously spacious ballroom. And he clinged to mother’s legs when she was moving forward a beautiful lady in white dress and with black hair pulled back in a pony. Next to her, an unfamiliar man was standing [although these people were not familiar to him].

Newt whimpered, wanting do draw mother's attention. He felt uncomfortable in this clothes, surrounded but all these strange men and women who were dancing, talking very loud and laughing.

He felt like somebody watching him and turned around, trying to catch gaze but unsuccessfully. 

He wanted go home. But the home is thousand miles away. They hotel room, where they are living, seems to be a good choice instead.

"What a pretty boy" a beautiful lady with dark brown eyes said, when mother and he finally approached her and the gentleman who stood right next to her.

The gentleman had cold blue eyes and Newt clinged to mother even more.

"This is my youngest son" mum pated his head, but he turned away, avoiding gazes of the madam and, probably, her husband as they wore the same rings. "Newt, say 'good evening' to lady Persephone and mister Oswald" mum asked for.

"'Good evening lady Persephone and mister Oswald" he finally babbled.

Theseus was far better at this kind of social events. But when they had come to that gala he escaped telling that he need to find his friend, leaving Newt alone.

Newt was seven and he was quite shy. It was hard for him to look at people, talk to them when then he didn’t know them very well.

Mum knew that. And she said them "He is a shy boy, afraid of crowds" and he got red, maybe redder than the color of his hair.

He wanted to escape too. But it would turn that she would searching for him and he didn't want to disappoint her.

"Like others omegas" mister Oswald said like he disdains omegas. It's terrible, Newt thought. Omegas were also people and this Oswald was stupid if he thought another way. Newt wanted to punch him when mister Oswald took a closer look at him at shrugged, harrumphing.

"Too little, too shy, avoid people, with unpleasant features and ginger. He will never find an alpha" he ruled. 

Oh. That sounded like a punch. He felt like tears going to drop on the floor and he lowered the head. He didn’t know why mother tells nothing. Maybe she also thought so but when he looked at her he saw fire in her eyes, she wanted to take her wand, saying something like "I’m gonna kill your man, Pers. And I’m not sorry ".

He was frightened. And where was Theseus? And it was ridiculously stupid because they just came to that event, and they were British among Americans and there were still people who thought that omegas were only the addition to alphas.

"Oswald, I think you must apologies for your words." The voice was deep and full of rage.

Newt looked up uncertainly and timidly. But oh Merlin. This is Percival Graves – Theseus’ friend and the son of that lady Persephone. He seemed angry and magic was buzzing around him. It seemed to him that he even saw some flashes of fiery color.

Percival was tall, with broad shoulders, dark hair and the same dark eyes that shooted lightning. He was furious, magic wasn’t knocked out of control, but give it the will - it will destroy everything in its path.

Theseus talked a lot about his friend. They had been friends almost from the cradle, and in spite of the ocean separated them, considered each other as brothers.

He didn’t look on Wizarding picture so... Great ...

Newt swallowed hard, but couldn’t look away. He didn’t know why, in spite of Percival's anger, he felt much better.

"Why do I have to apologize for my thoughts?" Oswald asked.

But Newt caught the reflection of the fear in his eyes and voice. Oswald crossed his arms over his chest in a protective gesture and moved one step back.

Perceval wasn’t too close, but it seemed his shadow pervaded all the free space.

"You should learn to keep your opinions inside" said Percival low.

Some candles were extinguished. It became somehow gloomy and wizards and witches started to turn around for them.

"I'm-" Oswald tried to rebel, but his voice was lost. Newt didn’t see the wand in Graves' hands, but then he remembered that he owned the wandless magic his power was well above average. But Percival, like Theseus, was only seventeen.

"Do you now apologize. And so be it, I will not throw you out of my home" this was a threat, and Newt had no doubt that would happen.

Oswald nodded and coughed when Percival takes spell. "Nyuval" he began. And Newt corrected him with amazing steel in voice "Newton. But for you - Mr. Scamander."

He caught the surprised looks of mother and brother, and Persephone, but Percival looked at him with a light grin.

"Hm. Mr. Scamander, I bring you apology and I take all the words back" he was not going to continue, but the muffled groans of pain, and it forced him to continue: "Please forgive me for my stupidity and short-sightedness" in his eyes one can saw the tears, apparently the pain was really intolerable. Or he has a low pain threshold. In any case, Newt wasn’t too worried.

"Apology accepted" said he cool.

Oswald disappeared. Along with him, apologizing, disappeared and Persephone.

This was a very strange situation. He didn’t know where to go when everyone was looking at him. Therefore, he looked down at the floor, pressed even more closer to mother, whose hand rested reassuringly on his head.

He felt that someone has stopped right next to him. Just a few inches. That someone smelled sweet and Newt gasped for that smell.

"Hey, Newt. Can I call you like that?" now that voice was soft and silky.

Percival squatted down and looked straight at him. Newt looked back. Black eyes dazzled.

Newt nodded. And then belatedly said "Thank you."

"The pleasure is all mine. He is a fool, and you should not take seriously what say people like him. Omegas are as gems in jewelry" Percival smiled at him. And Newt blushed again.

"Want to look at the fish in the pond behind the house?"  Percival asked and Newt's eyes lighten up with enthusiasm. He nodded enthusiastically "Oh. Sounds great."

He thought Percival would ask someone to accompany him. Or, as he had volunteered, he would stretch his hand to him, but he opened his arms. And Newt didn’t expect this. But he wasted no time, clinged to Percival’s neck and then he was turned in the air in just a few seconds.

Mom and Theseus were looking surprised with eyes wide open. He wasn’t so easy to start trusting somebody. And surprisingly, he came so easily to contact with someone. But Percival held him tightly in his arms. He was warm and yet he smelled so good that Newt didn’t particularly now want to leave Percival, at least today.


	2. Chapter 2

The sun shines so bright that for a moment, it dazzles and he lets out an unhappy groan. He proceeds to  hide in a cocoon of blankets when his mother enters his room and opens the curtains.

The weather in the last few days has been surprisingly sunny. It’s not typical for winter in their region, but even this does not please Newt. He feels uncomfortable and the touch of strangers leaves an unpleasant sensations on his skin. This causes him to avoid going outdoors, hiding in the library or his room as to not catch someone's eye.

He closes his eyes, hoping to grab a couple more minutes of sleep. But sleep abruptly disappears when his mother turns to him and tells him that he’ll be going with her to New York for Christmas.

Oh. He fully expected this, so he gets out of the cocoon of blankets.  Mother is standing at the threshold of his room. She is leaning on the doorjamb and is looking at him with interest.

Her statement is both a question and a statement. But it also isn’t _quite_ a statement of fact. If he did not know her so well, he would have thought that he had a choice in the matter. But it is definitely not his choice. She would not leave him alone in London for the holidays. Even if he had not insisted that he will cope without her.

“Do I really have a choice?”

He  asks, casting a quick glance mother.

He takes in the wet spots from the melted snow on her dress and the hippogriff feather in her thick auburn hair.  Newt also notices that she seems tired: Animal breeding and care has never been an easy job.

“And you know the answer to that question.”

She says softly.

It looks as if she wants to ask for forgiveness for not being able to give him the freedom he wants. He sees regret flash in her green eyes.

She regrets that her youngest son is introverted, shy, and prefers animals to other teenagers his age. She is only afraid of what consequences it may bring in the future. Someday she will not be there, and she madly wants her son to have somebody rather than spending the rest of his life alone.

Newt doesn’t understand why she is so afraid. He is quite well alone. He is not afraid to be alone. He can deal with loneliness.

“In any case, we won’t stay there for too long.”

She tells him from her spot on the threshold as she turns to leave, her message delivered.

“I need to go back to London After Christmas. But if you want you can stay in New York.”

She winks at him and walks away.

She knows.

And Lady Persephone too.

They know he likes Percival. It becomes quite embarrassing when he recalls that he was constantly flitting around Percy whenever he found himself in his presence. Percival had never turned him away, but he didn’t always look happy with the attention Newt showered him with.

He had his own life. A life  in which a little boy like Newton had no place in.

Newt had been aware and ever since he had turned thirteen, whenever he visited New York, he had tried to not smother Percival with his attention.

Newt knew that it was a child’s crush he had developed.  Graves was the first non-relative to speak up on his behalf. Percival had been sympathetic and had treated Newt with common decency that he was owed. The child Newt couldn’t help but to succumb to Percival’s charms and heroic actions. Especially since he was an Alpha  who had just defended  an omega from unreasonable harassment.

They lived on different continents. They met at the behest of their parents a couple of times a year. In those early days, Newt was always a stone throw’s away from Percy’s side. He was  Percy’s silent shadow as they both moved throughout the mansion.

Newt blushes as he remembered this and is glad that time has passed. At least he hopes to be able to see Percival without feeling utterly humiliated at his childish antics.

~О~

He's seven. And he was agitated and silent after the night’s incident. When he falls asleep, Mr. Oswald appears to him in a dream and tells Newt that he was destined to die alone. Percival stands beside him. But he does not protest and nods grimly at each word, confirming what was said. He looks at Newt coldly before nodding and walking away, leaving him alone.

Newt wakes up with tears streaming down his cheeks. He is wheezing and trying to get more air into his lungs, but it is impossible. He's scared. The darkness is so thick that he can’t see his own hands.. He wants to scream, but all he does is give out a strangled wheeze.

He doesn’t know what to do, but then the door opens and Percival is standing there. The tip of his wand is lit and Newt finally  relaxes.

He breathes deeply and wipes his face with his sleeve.

“What happened?” Percival scans the room for any threats. He sees none and hurries to Newt’s side, sitting on the edge of the bed to find out why Newt was so upset.

“I had a terrible dream” Newt rubs whispers, wiping his eyes dry as he speaks. Once he is finished, he timidly holds out his  hands to Percy, silently begging him for comfort.

Percy hugs him without hesitation. As he is engulfed in Percy’s arms,  Newt does not think about why it is so easy to trust him.

“Can you stay with me until I fall asleep?” He asks quietly, not wanting to let his source of comfort go just yet.

Percival nods in agreement and gently pushes Newt’s damp curls away from his forehead.

“Of course. I will guard your sleep, Newt.”

He lets go of Newt to take his shoes off and climbs into the bed, careful to not jostle the young Omega.  He shifts a bit to get more comfortable, leaning against the headboard and covering them both with the blanket.

“Thank you, Percival.”

Newt whispers sleepily.

“You're welcome, kid.”

Percy returns softly, not wanting to keep Newt awake any longer than he has to.

He doesn’t touch Newt. He’s concerned that he might disturb him awake if he does. But he needn't worry.

Newt is already asleep.

~O~

He is eight when he meets Tina and Queenie Goldstein. They are Persephone’s cousins’ nieces, and she took them under her wing when their parents died of dragon pox. Tina is older than Newt by two years, and Queenie is eight like him.

Tina looks at him warily, holding her sister's hand tightly. Queenie is more welcoming and takes a strong liking to Newt. She's smiling and friendly, but the only thing Newt can think is:  

“Will I have to fight for Percy’s attention now?

He doesn’t hesitate to grab Percy’s hand and give it a possessive squeeze, making Percy roll his eyes and snort at the gesture. He understands why Newt felt the need to make this little show in front of the Goldstein girls. He truly does. But he also knows that he has to talk to Newt about why it’s not necessary for him to do so.

“You need to make new friends, Newt. But I promise, I will always be there when you'll need me.”

Percival explains, setting Newt’s fears to rest and reassuring him of their bond.

With his confidence restored, Newt makes his first friends.

~O~

He is nine. He looks around, trying to catch sight of mother within the motley crowd. But she is nowhere to be found. He was only gone for a moment! How could she disappear in the time that he had gone to the window to look at the owls?

Wizards and witches are moving brushing past him quickly. He tries to call out to someone, but no one hears him. He is getting hot, the blood rushes to his face and breathing becomes difficult. The mingled street noises of steps, conversations, and bird cries are becoming almost deafening It feels like magic rages in his blood.

The noise is becoming a roar.

People are becoming a mob.

He covers his face with his hands and shouts, breaking the window with his shouts. He expects that the pieces will fall on him, but nothing happens. Someone is shielding him. Newt tilts his head back slowly to see who it is.

Percival is frowning, yet he sighs with relief and sits down on his haunches. Fragments on the sidewalk slowly begin to gather to whole glass. Witches and wizards go back to minding their own business. A surge of magic in a child is a common occurrence.

“Do not ever scare us like that again, Newt!”

Percy exclaims while squeezing Newt so tightly he swears his bones crunch.

Newt is silent as he clutches Graves' shoulders tightly.

He'd be happy to promise not to scare them, but he cannot utter a word.

As if he is aware that if he give this promise it will then break it more than once.

~O~

He is ten. He walks alone on a frozen pond. It’s already starting to get dark, but he’s having too much fun so that he doesn’t want to leave. Tina and Queenie came down with a cold, and he is bored. He jumps from one dark spot to another bright spot when he hears the crunch.

Then it becomes terribly cold. His clothes are immediately cold and wet. He's trying to do something. Anything, but his arms and legs simply won’t obey him. It felt as if he was pricked by a thousand icy needles. It becomes impossible to breathe.

He sinks to the bottom. Icy water envelops him. When this happens, he doesn’t feel the cold. He is numb and asks Merlin to it all end quickly.

And it ends. Something grabs him and he is trying to kick it, thinking it was some monster. Then he feels familiar magic, and he opens his eyes. It’s Percival who grabbed him around the waist and is rapidly swimming towards the huge hole in the ice. On his head is a translucent bubble and when Newt gains little focus, he notices he also has the same.

After a few seconds, they are on the surface. Percy quickly apparates them to the living room.  It’s only then, when he registers the rapid temperature change that fear hits him and he begins to shiver uncontrollably. He wants to ask how Graves found him, but all that Percy does is seat him on the couch throw a drying spell on them both. They remain silent and listen to the sound of water and ice evaporating away under the spell.

~O~

He is eleven when he almost dies, eaten by Acromantulom.  The spider is huge. The size of a young muggle Indian elephant. His jaw drops open when the flash of light blinds the monster.

“Merlin, Newt! There’s a reason why these creatures are classified as deadly!”

Percival shouts as he appears out of nowhere.

Newt doesn’t reply to that as he is too busy grabbing his hand and pulling him away.

“Take us somewhere far away then, Percy!”

Percy chuckles and a  moment later they are in the hallway of the mansion.

 _“This is not the best of his outing”_ Newt thinks as he looks at the toes of his shoes. He didn’t go that far into the woods, but who expected to wander into the territory of a colony of spiders? His musings are cut short when he feels Percival’s glare on him and timidly looks up.

Percival looks like a terrible storm cloud, ready to shoot lightning. Percy growls a threat and Newt throws him a shy glance from beneath eyelashes and regrow bangs.

“Sorry? I wasn’t looking for trouble?” The latest sounds more like a question.

He did not want trouble. But trouble seemed to be his middle name.

“How are you going to live to a ripe old age  if at  ten years of your life is in far more danger than the average Auror?” He asks slowly.

It is then that Newton feels the strength of Percival’s magic as well as of his Alpha nature. He does not do anything in the face of that power. He can’t. Percival’s Alpha strength overpowers his Omega nature, forcing New to lower his head and present his throat to allow Percival access to his neck.

It is an involuntary gesture. He has no control over it, but Graves sighs and crosses his arms in front of his chest.

“Answer me.”

“You will always save me.”

Newt says without thinking.

And Percy jerks slightly, as if he had received a  heavy blow. He is not looking at him. Instead, he fixes his eyes to the wall behind Newt.

“I'll have to tell your mother about all your adventures. I think she will decide how best to keep you from the dangers which you are not looking for but always find.”

It is said coldly and evenly and it makes Newt recoil in the same way that Percy had just done.

~O~

At twelve he finds himself in a mess quite by accident. He goes to MACUSA to visit Theseus. But at the entrance he is grabbed and a wand jabbed into his throat.

“I'm gonna kill this guy if you do not immediately release the Leicester Higgs!”

Newt heard about Leicester Higgs. He is a well-known supplier of black-magical artifacts, and Aurora chased him for several years.

A large group of people surround them. Someone is trying to cast a spell, but the wizard holding Newt acts faster. The spell rips the skin on Newt’s neck. He feels blood trickling down into his shirt and the sharp pain that follows almost at the same time. He can’t help but whimper.

“You see, I'm not kidding. I'll kill this boy without regret, if one of you will make the wrong move!”

The criminal cries out into the crowd.

Newt does not dare look up. The man holding him smells like fresh refuse as if he had just climbed out of a rubbish bin. He tries to not breathe in through his nose, despite being in pain and scared.

“Is that Theseus’ brother?”

He hears someone yelling.

“Maybe. He’s got the same ginger hair.”

Another voice yells out from the crowd.

“Yes, it’s him for sure!”

An excited voice replies.

“Find Theseus! Now!”

A few people scurry to do exactly that, while the crowd disperses somewhat to see what could be done to save Theseus’ brother from the madman holding him hostage.

“So you're Theseus Scamander’s brother?”

His captor asks, laughing maniacally as he speaks.

“What is a good day for me today. You brother put mine in jail. And you aren’t  even Americans. British bastards!”

He jabs the wound in Newt’s neck, tearing the wound open even further.

“I wonder if he will choose to save your life or his job?”

Newt throws back his head. The wizard holding him looks like he’s about to explode from rage. His filthy and shabby appearance adds to that, with his glaring bloodshot blue eyes, long matted brown hair and clumped together beard.

“He'll kill you.”

Newt hisses with all the bravado he can muster.

He's not sure, though. But he won’t let that man know.

The criminal laughs madly at that.

“He's right.”

Theseus states calmly, having appeared as if from thin air.

“So I’d recommend you let him go and then we can maybe reach an agreement.”

Theseus is holding his wand at the ready. He’s standing casually, but is prepared to move if the situation goes south. And so far, it hasn’t. Yet he is at the ready.

The criminal’s grip on Newt's throat is too strong. There is no suitable target and Theseus can see that his little brother is getting dizzy. Newt’s no help there. Even if Newt tries to do something, he just did not have the strength.

“I don’t think we can reach agreement. You know who I need. You won’t give him up. So  as fair compensation, I'll take your brother.”

Theseus eyes widen slightly when he senses aggression and anger coming from the wizard holding Newt.

“He's an Omega! I can smell him!”

The longer he speaks and the more that he gets to smell Newt, desire wakes up in the barely sane wizard.  Newt senses this and fear begins to cloud his mind.

“He's still young, but I bet that when he gets older, the alphas will be all over him.”

Newt dizziness gets worse. Black spots are clouding his vision and he feels himself slipping into unconsciousness. He sees Percival push through crowd, approaching him. Through Newt’s cloudy vision, it appears that Graves is surrounded by a fiery aura.

“No one will dare to hurt him! _Avada Kadevra_!”

He hears Percival call out, his voice dripping with authority and barely banked anger before it all goes black.

And Newt knows nothing more.

~O~

He is thirteen when Percival’s power gets out of control, burning almost half of the quarter. Graves presses him closer, and the magic goes through Newt, making him a conductor. The magic passes safely through Newt, but incinerates the group of would be rapists, turning them to ash.

It's terrifying for Newt to see the power that Graves possesses.

Newt swallows hard as he looks at Percival, who is breathing harshly at the effort of using that much magic.Graves' hands are trembling. He shakes violently before he falls to his knees and holds his head.

“Hush, Percival.”

Newt gently strokes  the  alpha’s thick black hair.

“Calm down. We're safe. The danger has passed.”

He did not know much about  Alpha and Omega instincts. But it seems that right now, he’s acting like an Omega should. It feels right to use this soft voice to calm an Alpha down. Alphas are known sentinels. And there is nothing surprising in the fact that Percival responded well. He is always conscious of the law and his responsibilities.

The fire slowly fades. But Grave’s magic is still travelling through Newt, touching every bit of him. And Newt freezes from this sensation.

His own magic sings to it.

It is amazing.

“Percival, I need you to come in back.”

He whispers to the Alpha still connected to him by touch and magic. Percival is slow to respond. He’s close to being feral. It takes him a few tries to finally bring him back to his senses.

Graves finally looks into Newt’s eyes. It is then that Newt somehow knows no matter how feral Graves had become, he would never hurt Newt.


	3. Chapter 3

He knows that this day would come. This conversation was going to have to be held. But he still hopes that she will postpone it for another couple of years.

He pulls on a white shirt and clips on platinum cufflinks into it when someone politely knocks on the door and waits for his answer.

“Come in.”

Their house-elf Scruzi appears in the doorway of his room. He bows and only then announces the purpose of his visit.

“Lady Graves wants to talk to you, Master.”

Scruzi is the head of their house elves and this position is the reason why he is always more confident and relaxed than the other house elves.

Well. The dreaded day came. He can say that there are a lot of things to be done but Persephone _is_ his mother.  There was no way he could close his eyes to her requests.

Besides, today is his day off.  That is his problem. He is a desperate workaholic, but it was his workaholism brought him to the forefront in Congress.

He has an outstanding family name, but it was just one of the tools that secured his promotions.

Scruzi waits for his nod and then disappears with a “clack.”

Percival takes another look in the mirror and studies himself critically. He looks a little tired (understandable, since he’s at work 24/7 without weekends and holidays), But in general, his appearance is not bad. His bespoke suit is sitting perfectly, complimented by his slicked back hair and he looks confident and forceful.

He is a representative of two powerful families, and if even sometimes he doesn’t feel as strong as his lineage,  no one will ever know about it.

Not even his mother.

~ O ~

She is waiting for him in her office, where she deals with her own business.

After the father’s death Percival was engaged in all the issues related to the financial aspect of their lives. Mum conducts correspondence, sits on the charity boards and organizes the receptions at various levels.

They rarely have meetings there. They usually spend their occasional evening in the living room  sitting near the fireplace with a few drinks. Sometimes alcoholic, sometimes not. Such evenings were becoming a rarity as the years passed.

“Good morning, Mum.”

He comes into the office without knocking, kisses her on the cheek and sits one of the chairs in front of Persephone’s desk.

She as usual, looks stunning in a long dark-red dress with lace sleeves.

“It seems to me, or are you get younger with each passing day?”

He asks her tenderly, making the question a compliment.

She laughs and tucks several dark strands behind her ear, her cheeks flushing slightly at his words.

“If you were more often at home, you would know how much effort it costs.”

She looks at him with such concern in eyes that he for a moment regrets that six years ago, when entered the service in MACUSA, bought an apartment in the heart of New York City and moved.

“I think that without this effort you would still look as lovely.”

He gets comfortable, since he is all too aware that the conversation will not be easy.

“Either way, I haven’t called you here to discuss my looks.”

Her smile doesn’t disappear, but her face hardens to show she means business.

Percival stifles an inward sigh at that, knowing that there’s no actual way he’d be able to get up and leave now.

~О~

She knows that such conversations irritate him and that was why she decided to postpone the conversation after several futile attempts in the past.

She first raised the issue of his marriage quite casually. He was only thirteen. In that year his father passed, and Percival became head of the family.

He remembers how she looked at the family vault where her husband was buried, holding his hand. Percival stoically held back tears, but mother occasionally wiped her eyes with a handkerchief.

His parents marriage had been an arranged marriage. But after they saw each other a day before the wedding, they fell in love without knowing each other. It was after that moment that they had a true marriage.

She had grieved her husband, but she hadn’t been sad when she had turned to her son.

“I will not say that our marriage was perfect. No marriage ever is. Yet, I loved your father, faults and all. I have not had the opportunity to choose someone else, because our parents decided everything for us, but you will have the opportunity. And I never want you to ever regret the choice you make.”

She notices how uninterested he is when someone at some party raised the issue of marriage.

Sometimes he is really annoyed when he is offered omegas and betas as prizes.

But more often than not, he’d leave when the conversation turned to marriage.

Persephone had raised the issue again. Twice. And then stopped trying.

The first time, he was seventeen. It was due to her second husband’s insistence. Oswald, who boasted of his old views on the dying society where early marriages were the norm.

The early twentieth century was marked by the fact that the omegas got the same rights that alphas and betas had. They were able to go to school, to have their own opinion, and, most importantly, to choose their own destiny.

He hated Oswald with all his might. Percival didn’t see him often due to his outdated views. Percival found himself seeing red whenever he was around and thought it was best if he removed himself from the equation.

Omegas were considered as rarity. A family’s standing could change with the birth of an omega, many of previously closed doors opens for them. It was believed that omegas were not particularly strong in terms of magic, but by _bonding_ with the alpha, made alphas much stronger. Omegas were not weak, they simply were not trained properly, inhibiting their powers. They were sold as valuable small animals, and alpha with binding ritual pumped out of them almost all the power.

Then there was the incident at a birthday party when Oswald had smeared an Omega with mud, and since then every time Graves saw Oswald, the desire to destroy him was almost all consuming within him. He hated bullies and Oswald was exactly that.

“Percival, I think you should think about getting married. You know that a _suitable_ omega only multiplies your strength. You are strong without omega, but with omega on your side, it definitely gives you a chance to occupy a high position in Congress.”

She spelled out her second husband’s ideas but she didn’t share the same views and beliefs.

But she was so serene calm, that he noticed that something was wrong.

He found out soon what the matter was. The bastard had charmed her with love potion and for two years skimmed money from her. Percy was incredibly lucky when he came across this rat, adding the potion into a mother’s glass of wine. He wasted no time in getting rid of him after that.

At her words, his mind conjured up the image of little, frightened, seven old Newt, trustingly embracing his neck. His enthusiastic blue-green eyes, when Percival led him to the pond with all sorts of fish, large and small.

He also recalled that fateful night Theseus found him standing alone near one of the columns in the ballroom. He looked excited and almost dropped his glass of champagne, pointing in the direction of his mother Clementina.

“Look. The first exit in the light of my younger brother.”

And Percival paused, thunderstruck when he saw a small omega, who clung to mother. He watched him like a hawk. He noted Oswald looking at Newt with malice in his eyes and he acted.  He found himself halfway through the ballroom and headed toward the little Omega with one thought in mind. _To_ _protect_.

All of this he pushed away to confront his mother with the situation at hand.

“Mum, I think I'm too young to think about marriage. And if it comes to that, then I'm not going to choose the _right_ omega-only in order to climb up the career ladder.”

He snapped, his voice barely controlled at the thought of using Newt as just a stepping stool to further his career. No. He wasn’t an opportunist. Nor would he sacrifice that timid creature for a greed that wasn’t his.

“It would be quite callous  on my part to use _The bond_ only for power.”

He looked directly at Oswald, with hatred burning in the eyes, causing the glass in other alpha’s hands to burst, splattering liquid everywhere.

_The bond_ was sacred. He did not want to use it only in order to hold office.

~ O ~

He always knew that he was different from others.

It was not just because his ancestors were one the first twelve Aurors or Sacred twenty-eight.

He was the heir of Gondulphus Graves and was part of the Black family on the maternal side. Hundreds magnificent ancestors stood behind him. He could not help but become a part of history.

The Graves family for many years was actively participating in the magic political life of America. They were making history both secretly and publicly. It was for the most part is that he was always thoughtful, thorough and responsible. His alpha nature manifests itself mostly as ambition and imperiousness.

The last thing he wanted was for his name to be uttered with awe and fear. He wanted to be admired and to do what was right. He wanted to be a good wizard and to also make his family proud.

Therefore, he always tried to be the best.

And he was the best in a school, then as an Auror. He quickly rose to the rank of Senior Auror. His next step was the chair of Director of Magical Law Enforcement. Or Director Magical Security.

He could see himself going with either option.

He remembered the interest they looked at him with when he stepped on the Gordian knot symbol, located in the middle of the stone floor.

They watched with interest not only because he was new, but because-

_“It's Graves. The son of the director of department of international magical cooperation.”_

_“His mother is one from British aristocracy. Look, he is like a little lord.”_

And whispers until the loud roar of Wampus deafened a good half of those who present.

He was really the warrior. But he was always thinking before doing. He was a tactician and strategist and rarely went on just his heart.

Sometimes they called him cold-blooded and aloof. He did not have so many friends, but the ones whom he called his friends, always knew that they could rely on him. Despite his standoffishness, he was the head of his faculty.

And despite the years, he still felt the warm glow of being a good leader in his chest.

~ O ~

Oddly enough, he relies on his feelings when it comes to Newt. They are ten years apart, but each time Omega is near Percival instincts scream out for him to _take_ Newt.

It becomes a chant in his head that he barely can suppress. A chant of:

“ _My, my omega, mine to mark, no one else can come close to him._

Newt also is possessive towards him. Percy remembers how strong was the grip on his arm, when Newt was introduced to the Goldstein sisters.

And Newt was always two steps behind Percival, barely giving him any room at all.

Once Percival had turned pale in Picquery’s eyes. He felt as if he had slipped into icy water without the possibility of escape. _Fear. Pain. Die_. This wasn’t him, Percival, feeling these things.  It was in a second that it clicked and he knew what was going on. He apparated by picturing Newt. Percival was lucky and found him. Wasting no time, he pulled Newt from the water, returned to the mansion and disappeared without saying a word.

Between them the _bond_ was forming.

It terrified Percival into bone-deep terror.

Mostly because before Newt, he had meaningless relationships. This. This is different.

He understands that the omega is young, but even when he comes of age he will not want to be tied to one place.

Newt once said that he wanted to travel and learn about magical animals. He does not want to be tied to anything or anyone.

Percival feels that he is that anchor.

The bond doesn’t manifest itself as often. It wasn’t strong to do so and they live far apart. But when Newt is in the United States, he always finds adventures. Deadly animals, no less dangerous wizards, Newt is magnet for trouble.

He doesn’t report to his actions when he kills Higgs, who promised to take Newt. His mind is not there. He’s being controlled by instinct _to protect_. He holds Newt in his arms and growls at all until Theseus somehow persuades him to give Newt to mediwizards. He wakes up in the president's office. The president looks with understanding through the glass of his spectacles.

“Is it what I think it is,  Mr. Graves?”

President Hudson knows what he is talking about. His bond with his omega is more than sixty years old. He probably was at Percy’s side the whole time he was out.

“Yes.”

He nods. He won’t explain his actions any further. He has done a favor to society, killing someone the likes of Higgs.

“I think this kid is lucky to have you as an Alpha”

Hudson friendly smiles and nods toward the door.

“I'll take care of everything.”

And when Percy almost leave the President adds

“I am pleased to know that you protect our country, Mr. Graves. You have a great future.”

“Thank you”

Percival nods before he leaves and says no more. His future could go hang at the moment. Right now, he is more concerned about the Newt’s state than his own prospects.

~ O ~

Percival has excellent control over his magic.

As a child, he had lapses. Once he almost burned down the manor, several times destroyed some things, almost flooded half of the school. But with age, he manages to control most of it, only relying on some of it when he’s working magic. All of that changes when his magic gets out of control. He sees only Newt, when the snakes and coils of flame burn everything away in their path, leaving death and destruction until he is able and calm enough to bring his magic under control.

It burns as it comes back to him. It feels like its violent flashes only slow down when they reach the omega. Newt asks him to calm down, but he is trembling, trying to control himself, his mind breaks and he falls to his knees, clutching his head.

He feels like the flames of fire are twisted around him, stinging.

“Hush, Percival.”

The hands on his head are as gentle as the voice speaking those words.

“Calm down. We're safe. The danger has passed.”

_Has it?_ Percival wonders.

“Percival, I need you to come in back.”

Newt is begging and he raises his eyes to omega. Newt smiles shyly. But he is not afraid.

~ O ~

But he starts to avoid Percival.

It cuts him more than he thought it ever would.

~ O ~

He would like to sulk and pout like a hurt child, but he is a grown man and successful wizard and Auror.

Then mother breaks into his self-pity with her quiet words and he listens.

“I remember I promised not to interfere in your private life. But you have none in. You so rarely go anywhere. And I know perfectly well that you do not like that at all.”

He changes his mind to say that he doesn’t need this kind of life. He knows that she had always dreamed of a big family, but all her pregnancies ended in miscarriage. Besides, he could not tell her that the only person whom he is prepared to offer himself and his family name is a well-known Newton Scamander, the youngest son of her best friend.

“Well. Fine.”

He finally says without much enthusiasm.

But mother immediately brightened and cheered. With a wave of a magic wand she calls golden stack of folders [gold is the color of omegas], and they lay in front of him.

He looks skeptical at these folders. There are not many - only six. But he can recall more names at random. Mom keeps his taciturn nature in mind, he notes with quiet satisfaction.

“I see you're prepared.”

He touches the upper folder and looks at it. He’s not really eager to open it.

“Oh, I didn’t do that.”

She replies coyly.

Yes. She has her connections. He never forgets about them.

“Only the best of the best.”

She adds when she sees his reluctance.

She looks a little tense when he opens the first folder. Edmund Jordan looks at him from the photo. This man had tried to poison him when they were both in the fourth year. Mother did not know about it, but he remembered that omega for life.

“No.”

He shook his head, putting the folder aside and anticipating her question, quickly gave his rejoinder.

“I agreed to view these files, but I'm not going to give any reasons as to why I reject these candidates.”

She just nods, not daring to challenge his decision. Few actually dared to challenge him.

Emery and Joseph Nicholson were nice and quiet adequate. They two years younger and would have been in consideration except for the rumors that they were are interested in each other than in alphas.

The fourth candidate was younger by three years, making him throw the folder down and look at his mother in surprise while she looked up from her tea.

“Really? Do not you remember that this is the Roderick Miles used love potion on me, which had me wooing him for a week, and then I almost slept with him. Merlin, bless Seraphina, since she was the one that noticed something was wrong with me!”

“Oh.”

She cries once quite hypocritically, absolutely without shame in black eyes.

“I forgot about that incident.”

He bites his tongue on the comment he’s about to make that these candidates are clearly not the best of the best. He doesn’t know what information is written about these omegas. Furthermore, he doesn’t want to know anything else about them. Especially since there was only one Omega that he wanted.

He defends the law! He does not want to break it. But Newt is becoming more beautiful with each passing year. He was always pretty, but now his Omega charms and sensuality are awaking in him. And Merlin. He should not think about the omega in this sense in the presence of mother.

“I do not know who made these files, but I can tell you two things. One these aren’t the best of the best when it comes to Omegas. Two, it would be better to change your informant.”

He says sharply, opening the fifth folder.

No. It was ridiculous! Asher Robinson had his good family name to commend him. But Percival was all too aware that the Omega was nothing but a little tart. By twenty, he had made the entire circuit of New York Alpha’s bed. A fact that wouldn’t have been obvious by his angelic face and innocent demeanour. But every Alpha worth his salt knew.

He looks at his mother in disbelief.

“That's even better?!”

He waves a folder about before smacking it on the table.

“Do you want for this family to become a laughingstock? That’s exactly what would happen if I were to mate with Robinson! Mercy Lewis! The boy’s seen more turns than the town bicycle!”

It's all seemed like a sick joke, if he was honest.

“I don’t think that as the mother of an unmated and workaholic Alpha, that we have that much respect to trade on. To be honest, I had no desire to look at these candidates, but I decided to do you a favor. Now I do not want to open the last.”

Why did she only spend his time on the fruitless search? He doesn’t think that she didn’t know what skeletons are hidden in the closet of the omegas.

She doesn’t look injured. And it all looks more like a prank. Only now he is in no mood for such silly things. Because he is twenty-five. He isn’t old, but sometimes he felt so, because he has found his omega eight years ago, but could not make him _his_.

He could not even tell his best friend about it. Mainly, because said best friend would have killed him on the spot, because the omega was his younger brother.

 

Clementine enters the room without knocking, carrying a tray with two plates and a wonderfully smelling blueberry pie.

“Oops. Did I disturb anything?”

She asks, taking in his scowling face and Persephone’s calm one.

“No. We are almost done.”

Percival snaps forcefully.

The pie smells heavenly and he had not yet had breakfast. His stomach growls weakly in response to the pie and he wants get this farce over and done with.

“Last file and you are free.”

Mother whispers. He rolls his eyes at her and slowly pulls the file towards him. He would obey her, but it didn’t mean he had to be thrilled about it.

“Newt cooked it. Finger lickin good. Really. He is a such great cook that you will not want to leave the kitchen table.”

Clementine whispers to him in an almost conspiratorial tone.

He opens the file and his eyes go wide in shock.

Percival roars. The chair handle under his hands cracks and the ladies turn to him. He could do nothing else but to reveal the folder. The first item is a large photo of a shyly smiling Newt.

He remembers that day. They all went to the beach this summer. And Percival almost didn’t get out of the water. Mostly because he couldn’t get enough of the sight of Newt’s pale freckle covered skin. Of his blue eyes and his red curls. His shy smile and and his delicate hands. All of it forming a trap for him. A trap that Percival had willingly walked into.

Newt doesn’t realize how beautiful he is. He doesn’t see himself like this. Doesn’t see the longing looks alphas and  girls threw at him. But Percival saw.

And he never regretted that he could not go beyond the laws which he so zealously defended.

“He is underage!”

He says through his teeth, tearing his gaze away from the photos.

Both of them must have noticed _the way_ he looked, but the two made no comments.

“Someday he will be.”

Mother shrugs matter of factly.

His mind finally does the math. HIs mother is far from stupid. Surely she must have seen the looks that he had cast at Newt throughout the years. Even if she had seen it once, she could easily put two and two together. So this whole farce was for once again make sure that she is right.

“So let's talk about it then.”

She says, putting her cup down and folding her hands in front of her.

"We absolutely will talk about this then he is eighteen."

He means it, but he jumps up from his chair like a scalded cat while he says the words.

“I mean we talk about it all later. Another time.”

His ears are burning and he knows he’s babbling. He’s done talking about it.

He waves his hand and the folders turn to ash. Neither woman says anything.

“Pie dear?”

Clementine says instead, offering him a slice and a cup of coffee. He accepts it and waits for the ladies to serve themselves before they start to eat. They move the conversation to neutral topics, but Percival is uneasy. He knows despite the finality of his gestures, the conversation is far from over.

Now that his mother has an ally at her side, the conversation will happen again, and it will have a resolution, if his mother has anything to say about it. Yet he pretends that it is done and they let him. Especially since he is aware that they saw him snatch one of Newt’s photographs before he incinerated the folders.

At least they are merciful enough to not comment about it. Or give any hint that they knew. But he knew that he had lost the battle in what was looking to be a long war.

 


End file.
